In today’s dose of social media, we look back at the most important activities and conversations from ATP and WTA players. Alexander Bublik once again lost his temper and broke his racket out of frustration during his match against Flavio Cobolli. Paula Badosa starred in a new PTPA video in which she opens up about her mental health struggles. Additionally, Roger Federer shared a compilation of photos from the recent Laver Cup and Novak Djokovic is seen training intensively ahead of his trip to Asia . Also check out the compilation of Serena Williams’ iconic outfits posted by the official Wimbledon account.
Bublik’s outburst of anger at China Open defeat: racket broken
Alexander Bublik lost his temper and violently smashed his racket in his loss to Flavio Cobolli (6-4, 1-6, 6-7) at the China Open. The Kazakh is going through a difficult phase. He lost four of his last five tournaments in the first round and only managed one win in his last eight matches.
He had an outstanding performance in the first half of the year: he won a title in Montpellier, reached the final of the ATP 500 Dubai and reached the semi-finals in Adelaide and Lyon, helping him reach his career high of world number 17. Bublik is known for smashing his rackets during matches to give himself air, and this time he smashed his racket four times, causing it to break into pieces.
Celebrate 43-year-old Serena Williams: A look back at her iconic Wimbledon outfits
Serena Williams turns 43 this Thursday, September 26th, just over two years after retiring. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was recognized on the official accounts of various tournaments. One of the most notable was the official Wimbledon account, which compiled some of the former World No. 1’s most iconic outfits at SW19.
During her career, Williams won 7 Wimbledon titles, which tied her with Steffi Graf for second place behind Martina Navratilova with 9 titles. The younger of the Williams sisters marked a turning point in women’s tennis, and despite her retirement, she continues to receive accolades in the tennis world. Here’s a look at some of her most iconic outfits at Wimbledon.
Iconic outfits on an icon’s birthday 🥳
China Open: Sinner and Zheng lead the ceremony
The opening ceremony of the China Open featured some of the top players from the ATP and WTA. Jannik Sinner was on stage alongside local heroes Zheng Qinwen and Zhang Zhizhen, both Olympic medalists (Zheng won gold in women’s singles and Zhang won gold in mixed doubles with Wang Xinyu).
The three players took part in the opening ceremony on Center Court and hit several balls into the crowd. Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, also took part in the tournament’s opening celebrations.
Paula Badosa shares her mental health journey
In a new video from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), Paula Badosa talks about the mental health issues in her life. The Spaniard was sidelined for almost six months due to a back injury and her return was not easy in the first few months of the year. However, she has managed to find her form and return to the top 20 after, among other things, winning the title at the WTA 500 DC Open and reaching the semi-finals at the WTA 1000 CincinnatiOpen.
“You can’t perform at your best without strong mental fitness. 💪🧠 I’ve started using @apeaktennis’ daily reminders to make sure my training routine also includes time for the mental side of the game and I love how it becomes a habit,” she wrote.
In the video shared on social media, Badosa recalls the most difficult moments of her life when she struggled with mental health, especially at a young age: “For me, facing anxiety and depression was like “I was very young, the hardest thing I’ve experienced in my life. The other thing is that it made me stronger,” said the former world number 2. “And of course also that I’m coming back from injury. It was the first time I came back after a year off and I completely lost my confidence because it’s like starting all over again.”
Roger Federer experiences the 7th Laver Cup with a photo compilation
Roger Federer has released a compilation of photos after taking part in the 7th Laver Cup. The 20-time Grand Slam champion was one of the driving forces behind the tournament, which is inspired by golf’s Ryder Cup and pits Team Europe against Team World.
Federer chose the Laver Cup as the stage for his retirement in 2022, in a memorable doubles match alongside Rafael Nadal. Although he is no longer on the pitch, the Swiss legend continues to draw attention to the tournament he helped launch in 2017. In a collection of memories of this last edition, Federer shared photos with Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz and captains John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, who took part as captains for the last time and will be replaced by Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah in 2025.
Djokovic is preparing for the Shanghai Masters with intensive training
Novak Djokovic is back in action as he prepares to take part in the ShanghaiMasters. The Serb returns to the tournament in China for the first time since 2019, as it did not take place between 2020 and 2022. In 2023, he decided to take a break after a busy season and focus on the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.
However, Nole’s schedule has changed this year and he returns to China, where he has won the title four times (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018) and has a great record of 40-8 (83%) since his debut in 2006 ). In a video recently shared by a user on X, the 24-time Grand Slam champion can be seen training, skipping a rope at high speed to the rhythm of a song.
How Novak Djokovic is preparing for Shanghai. 😂
Sinner honors late aunt with China Open victory
Jannik Sinner has overcome a difficult start at the China Open after losing to world number 28. Nicolas Jarry was on the verge of causing a surprise in the first set. The Italian made a comeback and secured victory and a place in the second round with 4:6, 6:3, 6:1.
The world number one began his campaign in Beijing on an emotional note, as it was his first match since the death of his aunt Margith Rauchegger, to whom he had dedicated the US Open title weeks earlier. Sinner dedicated his victory against Jarry to his aunt with a kiss to the sky and a quiet celebration.
Test = Passed! ✅
Defending champion @janniksin kick starts his Beijing campaign with a 4-6 6-3 6-1 comeback win over Jarry
